BR 
327 
.F43 
1917 


ISl^ 


400"*'®  M^j:^XfWJ-i£iA-Ii:^ 


vi  -iiibi 


]Pw®t^w^mB:i  'SiBi'DWi^n^lm-si 


Schlossktrche. 


THE   CHURCH    IN    WITTENBERG.    TO   THE    DOOR   OF    WHICH    MARTIN    LUTHER 
NAILED   THE   XCV   THESES,    OCTOBER   31,    1517 


fiR  327  .F43  1917 
1517-1917 


At  the  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  held 
at  Atlantic  City,  N.  J.,  in  May,  1916,  the  fol- 
lowing action  was  taken: 

"Whereas,  The  fonr  hundredth  anniversary  of 
the  Protestant  Reformation  occurs  in  1917;  and 

"Whereas,  The  Churches  constituting  the 
Council  of  the  Reformed  Churches  holding  the 
Presbyterian  System  represent  historically  one 
great  branch  of  the  Christian  Church  of  the 
Reformation.     Therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  the  Council  recommends  to 
the  several  supreme  judicatories  the  holding  of 
suitable  anniversary  services  for  the  purpose  of 
emphasizing  the  great  principles  of  the  Reformation 
of  the  sixteenth  century." — Minutes,  1916,  p.  309. 

'  'That,  in  connection  with  whatever  celebration 
of  the  Luther  Anniversary  may  be  arranged  for 
1917,  all  Presbyterian  churches  be  called  upon  to 
commemmorate  the  nailing  of  the  theses  on  the 
door  of  the  Wittenberg  Church,  by  making  a 
special  offering,  on  October  "28,  1917,  this  offering 
to  be  sent  to  the  (College)  Board  for  the  purpose 
of  maintaining  departments  of  English  Bible  in 
Presbyterian  colleges." — Minutes,  1916,  page  161. 

"In  order  to  carry  out  the  resolution  regarding 
the  anniversary  of  the  Protestant  Reformation, 
it  is  recommended  that  the  Moderator  appoint 
a  Committee  of  five,  three  ministers  and  two 
elders,  to  cooperate  with  other  Committees." 
— Minutes,  1916,  page  1'2'2. 


Ministers 

Rev.  David  Schley  Schaff,  D.D.,  Chairman 

Rev.  Frank  C.  McKeax,  D.D  Rev.  Wm.  Henry  Roberts,  D.D. 

Ruling  Elders 


Mr.  Lansing  G.  Wetmore 


Mr.  Wm.  H.  Scott 


[All  Metrical  Psalms  and  Hymns  in  this  Program 
belong  to  the  16th  Century] 


©wmmii  D'^' 


I^IiVlCl^ 


HNOX 


Hut    the  "grand   old    Puritan  anthem"  [Longfellow]   "All 

I'cople  That  on  Earth  Do  Dwell,"  composed  by  William  Kethe, 

II  friend  of  John  Knox,  and  set  to  the  music  of  Louis  Bourgeois, 

survives  all  the  changes  of  thought  or  fashion  that  the  progress 

f  four  centuries  has  witnessed. 

— Rowland  E.  Prothero 


THE    OLD    HUNDREDTH     L.  M. 


The  Genevan  Psalter,  1 551:  alt. 


^^  *    ^  4 i— 4j. — :J~^- — •      If—*-* 


^ 


II 


1  All     peo  -  pie    that     on   earth    do   dwell,  Sing    to       the  Lord  with  cheer  -  ful  voice,  i 


r-ts^=^- 


2  The  Lord  ye  know  is  God  indeed ; 

Without  our  aid  He  did  us  make; 
We  are  His  folk,  He  doth  us  feed; 
And  for  His  sheep  He  doth  us  take.  4 

3  O  enter  then  His  gates  with  praise. 

Approach  with  joy  His  courts  unto; 


Praise,  laud,  and  bless  His  Name  always, 
For  it  is  seemly  so  to  do. 

For  why?  the  Lord  our  God  is  good, 

His  mercy  is  for  ever  sure; 
His  truth  at  all  times  firmly  stood. 

And  shall  from  age  to  age  endure. 

Psalm  c.     Rev.  William  Kethe,  1561 


O  Lord  God,  Father  eternal  and  almighty,  sincerely  we  confess  and  acknowledge  before 
thy  holy  Majesty  that  we  are  all  poor  sinners,  conceived  and  born  in  iniquity  and  corruption, 
inclined  to  do  evil  and  indisposed  to  all  good,  and  that  because  of  our  sins,  we  transgress 
without  end  and  imceasingly  thy  holy  commandments.  And  doing  so,  we  have  brought 
down  upon  us  by  thy  just  judgment  ruin  and  perdition.  At  all  times,  O  Saviour,  we  are 
di.spleased  within  ourselves  at  having  offended  against  thee  and  we  condemn  ourselves  and 
our  sins  and,  with  true  repentance,  we  desire  that  thy  grace  may  help  our  misery.  Merci- 
fully, therefore,  have  pity  upon  us,  O  God  and  Father  most  gracious  and  full  of  mercy,  in  the 
name  of  thy  Son,  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  And,  blotting  out  our  sins  and  stain,  give  unto 
us  day  by  day  in  increasing  measure  the  graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  the  end  that,  acknowledg- 
ing wUh  all  our  heart  our  wickedness,  we  may  be  moved  with  the  sorrow  which  begets  true 
repentance  within  us,  which  deadens  us  to  all  sin  and  produces  within  us  the  fruits  of  right- 
eousness and  innocency,  for  these  are  well  pleasing  in  thy  sight,  through  the  same  Jesus  Christ, 
our  Lord. 

Prayer  of  John  Calriti,  irrittcu  by  him,  to  be  used  at  the  opening  of  Divine  Service.  Trans- 
lated from  the  French. 


This  Psalm  has  something  in  it  hke  the  sound 
of  Alpine  avalanches,  or  the  first  murmur  of  earth- 
quakes, in  the  very  vastness  of  which  dissonance  a 
higher  unison  is  revealed  to  us.  Luther  wrote  this 
Song  in  a  time  of  blackest  threatenings,  which,  how- 
ever, could  in  nowise  become  a  time  of  despair.  In 
those  tones,  rugged  and  broken  as  they  are,  do  we 
not  recognize  the  accent  of  that  man  summoned  by 
Almighty  God  who  answered  his  friends"  warning  not 
to  go  to  Worms  in  the  words,  "Were  there  as  many 
devils  in  Worms  as  there  are  roof-tiles,  I  would  on." 
LUTHER  — Thomas  Carlyle. 

[Usually  spoken  of  as  Luther's  Psalm] 

God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help 
in  trouble. 

Therefore  will  not  we  fear,  though  the  earth  be  removed, 
and  though  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of  the  sea; 

Though  the  waters  thereof  roar  and  be  troubled,  though 
the  mountains  shake  with  the  swelling  thereof.     Selah. 

There  is  a  river,  the  streams  whereof  shall  make  glad  the 
city  of  God,  the  holy  place  of  the  tabernacles  of  the  most  High. 

God  is  in  the  midst  of  her;  she  shall  not  be  moved: 
God  shall  help  her,  and  that  right  early. 

The  heathen  raged,  the  kingdoms  were  moved:  he  uttered 
his  voice,  the  earth  melted. 

The  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us;  the  God  of  Jacob  is  our 
refuge.     Selah. 

Come  behold  the  works  of  the  Lord,  what  desolations  he 
hath  made  in  the  earth. 

He  maketh  wars  to  cease  unto  the  end  of  the  earth;  he 
breaketh  the  bow,  and  cutteth  the  spear  in  sunder;  he 
burnetii  the  chariot  in  the  fire. 

Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God:  I  will  be  exalted 
among  the  heathen,  I  will  be  exalted  in  the  earth. 

The  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us;  the  God  of  Jacob  is  our 
refuge.    Selah. 

If  all  the  world  were  composed  of  true  Christians,  no  king,  prince, 
lord,  sword  or  law  were  needful  or  of  any  use.  What  would  be  the  purpose 
of  these,  since  Christians  have  the  Holy  Spirit  in  their  heart,  who  teaches 
and  persuades  them  not  to  do  anyone  harm,  to  love  all  mankind,  to  suffer 
wrong,   even  death   itself,   from   everyone  cheerfully   and   willingly. 

— Martin  Luther. 

Unless  I  am  convinced  by  testimonies  taken  from  Scripture  I  stand 
firmly  by  the  Scrijjtures  adduced  by  myself  and  my  conscience  is  bound 
in  the  Word  of  God.  Retract  I  cannot  and  will  not,  for  to  do  anything 
against  one's  conscience  is  unsafe  and  dangerous.  Here  I  stand;  I  can  do 
no  otherwise.  God  help  me.  Amen. 
— Luther  before  the  Emperor.  Charles  J  ,  at  the  Diet  of  Worms,  152L 


This  page  may  be  used  in  case  the  children  take  part  in  tlie 
Anniversary  Exercises. 

[It  is  suggested  that  an  address  be  made  to  the  children,  briefly  describing 
the  Reformation  and  what  it  did  for  child  life  throughout  the  world] 

Luther  was  never  sd  happy  as  when  associating  with  children.  He  annually  observed 
the  custom  of  spending  a  happy  Christmas  Eve  with  his  family,  when  the  Christmas  tree 
was  lighted,  and  gifts  were  presented  to  the  children,  amid  singing  and  much  edifying 
conversation  about  the  incarnation  of  Christ.     For  this  purpose  he  composed  this  hymn. 


MENDON.     L.  M. 


German  Melody  arr.  by  Samuel  Dyer,  1828 


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To  crown  us     with 

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the     joy 

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of     heav'n. 


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This  is  the  Christ,  our  God  and  Lord, 
Wlio  in  all  need  shall  aid  afford  : 
He  will  Himself  our  -Saviour  be, 
From  sin  and  sorrow  set  us  free. 

To  us  that  blessedness  He  brings, 
\Vhich  from  the  Father's  bounty  springs: 
That  in  the  heavenly  realm  we  may 
With  Him  enjoy  eternal  day. 


X^ 


i 


MEN. 


Tr.  by  Re 


4  Were  eartli  a  thousand  times  as  fair, 
Beset  with  gold  and  jewels  rare, 
She  yet  were  far  too  poor  to  be 

A  narrow  cradle,  Lord,  for  Thee. 

5  Ah,  dearest  Jesus,  Holy  Child, 
Make  Thee  a  lied,  soft,  undefiled. 
Within  my  heart,  that  it  may  be 
A  (|uiet  chamber  kept,  for  Thee. 

Martin  Luther,  1531 
V.  Arthur  Tczcr  Russell  and  Catherine  Winkworth 


A  carol  written  by  Luther,  in  1531,  for  his  little  boy  Hans,  when  the  latter  was  five 
years  old.  It  is  still  sung  from  the  dome  of  the  Kreuzkirche  in  Dresden  before  daybreak 
on  Christmas  morning.  It  refers  to  the  German  custom  of  making,  at  Christmas  time, 
representations  of  the  manger  with  the  infant  Jesus. 


EIN'  FESTE  BURG     8.7.8.7.6.6.6.6.7. 


Martin  Luther,  isag 


.    j    A    might  -  y     For-tress     is      our  God,      A      Bul-wark     nev  -  er        lau    -    ing; 
(  Our   Help  -  er    He        a  -  mid  the  flood      Of      mor  -  tal      ills     pre    -  vail    ■    ing: 


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power  are  great,  And,  armed  with  cruel  hate,  On  earth  is    not  his 


I  2  Did  we  in  our  own  strength  confide, 

I  Our  striving  would  be  losing; 

I  Were  not  the  right  man  on  our  side, 

I  The  man  of  God's  own  choosing: 

I  Dost  ask  who  that  may  be? 

I  Christ  Jesus,  it  is  He; 

I  Lord  Sabaoth  His  Name,  4 

I  From  age  to  age  the  same, 

I  And  He  must  win  the  battle. 

I  3  And  though  this  world,  with  devils  filled, 
I  Should  threaten  to  undo  us; 

I  We  will  not  fear,  for  God  hath  willed 
I  His  truth  to  triumph  through  us: 

=  Martin  Luther, 


The  prince  of  darkness  grim,  — 
We  tremble  not  for  him; 
His  rage  we  can  endure. 
For  lo!  his  doom  is  sure. 

One  little  word  shall  fell  him. 

That  Word  above  all  earthly  powers, 
No  thanks  to  them,  abideth; 

The  Spirit  and  the  gifts  are  ours 
Through  Him  who  with  us  sideth: 

Let  goods  and  kindred  go, 

This  mortal  life  also; 

The  body  they  may  kill: 

God's  truth  abideth  still. 
His  kingdom  is  for  ever. 

1520.     Trans,  by  Rev   Frederick  H.  Hedge,  1853 


Thi.s  hymn  is  Luther  in  song  It  is  pitched  in  the  very  key  of  the  man.  Rugged  and 
majestic,  trustful  in  God  and  confident,  it  was  the  defiant  trumpet  blast  of  the  Reformation, 
speaking  out  to  the  powers  of  the  earth  and  imder  the  earth  an  all-conquering  conviction  of 
divine  vocation  and  empowerment.  The  world  has  many  .sacred  songs  of  exquisite  tender- 
ness and  unalterable  trust,  but  this  one  of  Luther's  is  matchless  in  its  warlike  tone,  its 
rugged  strength  and  its  inspiring  ring. — Koestlin. 


ZlVINGLl 


Lo,  at  the  door,  I  hear  death's  knock. 
Shield  me,  O  Lord,  my  Strength  and  Rock, 
Thy  hand  once  nailed  upon  the  tree, 
Jesus,  uplift  and  shelter  me. 

From  the  "Hymn  of  Zwingli's  Great  Sickness"  composed 
while  Zwingli  was  in  Zurich  where  he  was  taken  with  the  plague 
and  almost  died. 

Zwingli's  last  words  before  his  martydom,  October  11,  1531, 
were.  "They  may  kill  the  body,  but  the  soul  they  cannot  kill." 


"If  God  spare  my  life,  ere  many  years  I  will  cause  the  boy  who  driveth  the  plough 
to  know  more  of  the  Scriptures  than  you  do." 

So  said  Tyndale  to  a  priest.  He  was  the  first  to  translate  the  Greek  New  Testament 
into  English  and  printed  the  work  at  Worms,  Germany,  1526. 


IPIf^Jv.T:iim 


CANONBURY    L.  M. 


Arr.  from  Robert  A.  Schumann,  1839 


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1  All  praise  to  Thee,     E   -   ter  -  nal  Lord,  Clothed  in 


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garb    of    flesh  and  blood;     s 


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Choosing     a  man  -  ger     for  Thy  tlirone,While  worlds  on  worlds  are  Thine  a  -  lone.   A-men, 


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2  Once  did  the  skies  before  Thee  bow;  4  Thou  comest  in  the  darksome  night 
A  virgin's  arms  contain  Thee  now:  To  make  us  children  of  the  light, 
Angels  who  did  in  Thee  rejoice  To  make  us,  in  the  realms  Divine, 
Now  listen  for  Thine  infant  voice.  Like  Thine  own  angels  round  Thee  shine. 

3  A  Uttle  Cliild,  Thou  art  our  Guest,        5  All  this  for  us  Thy  love  hath  done; 
That  weary  ones  in  Thee  may  rest;  By  this  to  Thee  our  love  is  won: 
Forlorn  and  lowly  is  Thy  birth,  For  this  we  tune  our  cheerful  lays. 
That  we  may  rise  to  heaven  from  earth.     And  shout  our  thanks  in  ceaseless  praise. 

The  tune  Duke  Street  can  be  used  Martin  Luther,  1524. 

Not  from  doing  good  works  are  we  set  free  by  our  faith  in  Christ  but  from  the  belief 
in  works;  that  is,  from  foolishly  presuming  to  seek  justification  by  works. — Martin  Luther, 
1529. 

Good  works  do  not  make  a  man  good  but  a  good  man  doeth  good  works. — Martin 
Luther,  1520. 

It  matters  not  what  happens  to  me.  But  for  Christ's  truth  I  will  stand  with  cheerful 
heart  and  courage  and  without  fear  of  any  one  in  the  world. — Martin  Luther,  1521,  speak- 
ing of  the  pope. 


lOAXXES      CMVIKHS      N'ATirS      NOVTODUNl      Pir\RT)ORUM 


Heavenly  Father,  we  render  unto  thee  eternal  praise  and  thanks,  that  thou  hast  vouch- 
safed unto  us  so  great  a  blessing,  even  to  us  poor  sinners,  having  drawn  us  in  conuuunion  with 
thy  Son,  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  whom  thou  hast  delivered  for  our  sakes  unto  death  and  hast 
given  him  to  us  in  the  bread  and  nourishment  of  eternal  life.  Now,  Lord,  grant  unto  us 
also  this  blessing,  not  to  permit  us  at  any  time  to  liecome  forgetful  of  these  things  but,  rather 
having  impressed  them  ui)on  our  hearts,  we  may  diligently  grow  and  increase  in  the  faith 
which  worketh  in  all  good  works  and.  in  doing  tiiis  for  us,  grant  that  we  may  so  order  and 
direct  our  lives  as  to  exalt  thy  glory  and  edify  our  neighbor  through  Jesus  Christ,  thy  Son, 
who  in  the  unity  of  the  Holy  Spirit' eternally  liveth  and  reigneth  with  thee,  O  God.     Amen. 

Prai/rr  hi/  John  Calvin  used  after  Ike  celehration  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Translated  from 
the  Freneh. 


10 


Calvin  translated  some  of  the  metrical  psalms  for  worship.  This  hymn  entitled, 
"Salutation  to  Jesus,""  was  i-ecently  found  in  an  old  Liturgy  of  Calvin's  of  1.)4,'5.  "It  reveals," 
says  Philip  Schaff,"a  poetic  vein  and  devotional  fervor  and  tenderness  which  one  would  hardly 
expect  from  so  severe  a  logician  and  polemic."  We  have  slightly  shortened  the  verses  of  it 
as  found  in  Schaff's  "Christ  in  Song,"  so  that  it  can  l)c  sung  in  an  English  meter.  The  tune, 
however,   was  originally   Genevan. 


LANGRAN 


I.   I  greet    Thee,     who  my        sure       Re   -  deem-ei 


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The  fiine  Eventide  can  he  niied 


2  Thou  art  the  King  of  mercy  and  of  grace, 
Reigning  omnipotent  in  every  place  : 

So  come,  O  King,  and  our  whole  being  sway  : 
Shine  on  us  hy  tlie  liglit  of  Thy  pure  day. 

3  Thou  art  the  I^ife,  by  which  alone  we  live, 
And  all  our  substance  and  our  strength  receive  : 
Comfort  us  by  Thy  faith  and  by  Tliy  power 
Ncr  faint  our  hearts  when  comes  the  trying  hour. 

4  Thou  hast  the  true  and  perfect  gentleness, 
Xo  harshness  hast  Thou  and  no  bitterness  : 
Make  us  to  taste  the  sweet  grace  fuund  in  Thee 
And  ever  stay  in  Thy  sweet  unity. 


5  ( )ur  hope  is  in  no  other,  save  in  Thee, 

( )ur  faith  is  built  upon  Thy  promise  free, 

Come  give  us  peace,  make  us  so  strong  and  sure, 

That  we  may  conquerors  be  and  ill  endure. 

6  Turn  Thy  sweet  eyes  upon  our  low  estate, 
Our  Mediator  and  our  Advocate, 

Cuve  us  Thy  vision  blest,  O  Lord  nK)st  high. 
We  enter  then  the  glories  of  the  sky. 

7  <  )  pitiful  and  gracious  as  Thou  art, 

Thou  lovely  Bridegroom  of  the  holy  heart. 
Meet  Thou  our  foes  in  all  their  cruel  ruth. 
That  we  may  follow  all  Thy  word  of  Truth. 
Genevan  Psalter,  1545 


'^'li^'^Tl^'li 


11 


"One  mass  is  more  fearful  unto  me  than  if  10,000  armed  men  were  entered  into  the 
realm  to  suppress  the  holy  religion,"  said  John  Knox  when  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  attended 
the  first  mass  after  her  i-eturn  from  France  to  Edinburgh,  1561. 


INTHKMKW   OF  JOHN  KNOX  WITH  MARY  QUEEN  OF  SCOTS 

Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  "What  have  you  to  do  with  my  marriage?  Or  what  are  you 
in  this  commonwealth?" 

Knox.  "A  subject  born  within  the  same,  madam,  and  albeit  I  be  neither  earl,  lord, 
nor  baron  in  it,  yet  lias  God  made  me  (how  abject  that  ever  I  be  in  your  eyes)  a  profitable 
member  within  the  same.  Yea,  madam,  to  me  it  appertains  no  less  to  forewarn  of  such 
things  as  may  hurt  it.  if  I  foresee  them,  than  it  doth  to  any  of  the  nobility;  for  both  my 
vocation  and  conscience  require  plainness  of  me." 


1^2 


11"  the  reading  of  my  Commentary  on  tliis  book  (The  Psalms) 
brings  as  much  blessing  to  the  Church  of  God  as  I  have  got  in  the 
composition  of  it,  I  shall  not  repent  of  the  work.  I  may  truly  call 
this  book  an  anatomy  of  all  parts  of  the  soul,  for  no  one  can  feel  a 
movement  of  the  Spirit  which  is  not  reflected  in  this  mirror.  All 
the  sorrows,  troubles,  fears,  doubts,  hopes,  pains,  perplexities,  stormy 
outbreaks  by  which  the  hearts  of  men  are  tossed,  have  been  here 
depicted  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  very  life. — Calvin. 


Singing  by  the  congregation  entered  England  with  the  Refor- 
CALVIN  mation.     Queen  Elizabeth  allowed   the  singing  of  two  hymns  at 

public  service.  Bishop  Jewel  speaks  of  six  thousand  at  a  time  singing  psalms  in  London 
during  Elizabeth's  reign.  This  psalm  is  taken  from  "Psalmes  of  David  in  Englishe  Metre 
by  Thomas  Sternholde  and  others.  Veri  mete  to  be  used  of  all  sortes  of  people  privatly  for 
their  godly  solace  and  comfort." 


ST.   MAGNUS     C.  M. 


Jeremiah  Clark,  1709 


1^35= 


i 


1  O     God,      my  Strength  and     For  -  ti 


A 


must   love  Thee;     § 


r 


^li 


«— ^ 


•-• 


Thou   art    my  Cas  -  tie     and    Defence    In        my      ne  -  ces 


si   -    ty 


iimi 


A  -  MEN. 


4=- 


X- 


^-.. 


The  tune  St.  Anne  can  be  used 


2  My  God,  my  Rock,  in  whom  I  trust, 

The  Worker  of  my  wealth, 
My  Refuge,  Buckler,  and  my  Shield, 
The  Horn  of  all  my  health. 

3  I,  when  beset  with  pain  and  grief, 

Did  pray  to  God  for  grace; 
And  He  forthwith  did  hear  my  plaint 
Out  of  His  holy  place. 

;4  The  Lord  descended  from  above 
And  bowed  the  heavens  high, 


And  underneath  His  feet  He  cast 
The  darkness  of  the  sky. 

5  On  cherub  and  on  cherubim 

Full  royally  He  rode. 
And  on  the  wings  of  all  the  winds 
Came  flying  all  abroad. 

6  Unspotted  are  the  ways  of  God, 

His  Word  is  purely  tried; 
He  is  a  sure  Defence  to  such 
As  in  His  faith  abide. 

Psalm  xviii.     Thomas  Stemhold,  publ.  1561 


B:^SfIl©3€^2DB' 


"Be  of  good  cheer.  Master  Ridley,  and  play  the  man.  We  shall  this  day  light  such  a 
candle  by  God's  grace  in  England  as  I  trust  shall  never  be  put  out,"  said  Bishop  Latimer 
on  his  way  with  Bishop  Ridley  to  the  stake,  15.55. 


1.3 


^  O  the  reformers  of  the  sixteenth  centurv 


l,.f,  i 


\J/^       '^V.f  i    the  Protestant  churches  owe  an  unspeak- 
Wit    ^  I  ^   ^k  I    ^ible  debt  for  ha\ino'  been  led  bv  them  to 


I T 


%    I     mm 

jj^^^pJII^  I    edge,  the  Scriptures,  and  to  the  recognition 


iy,,|      _■-     t^«  =    the  written  source  of  all  spiritual  knowl 


n^  that  every  man  has  the  right  to  go  immedi- 
ately to  Christ  and  by  faith  claim  his  salvation.  To  these 
men,  also,  our  modern  civilization  owes  some  of  its  noblest 
principles  of  universal  poj)ular  education  and  religious  and 
civil  liberty.  They  opened  the  pages  of  the  Word  of  God 
and  they  held  up  the  lamp  over  the  pathway  of  modern 
progress  and  enlightenment. 

Individual  reformers  had  appeared  before  who  called 
upon  the  Church  to  return  to  the  pure  teaching  of  the 
Scriptures  and  jjut  aside  the  inventions  of  men.  They 
appeared  in  different  parts  of  Europe:  Wyclif  in  England, 
Huss  and  Jerome  in  Bohemia.  Wessel  and  John  of  Wesel 
in  the  Lowlands,  and  Savonarola  in  Italy.  Wyclif,  who  was 
called  by  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  "a  pestilent  wretch" 
for  having  translated  the  Scriptures,  died  a  heretic.  Huss 
and  Jerome  of  Prague  were  burnt  bj^  the  vote  of  the  Council 
of  Constance,  1415-1-H6.  Savonarola  suffered  the  same 
horrible  fate  in  Florence,  1498,  but  no  permanent  move- 
ment of  reform  followed  their  preaching.  Wyclif  had  called 
the  pope  "that  man  of  sin,"  but  the  papacy  went  on  corrupt 
and  arrogant  as  before.  The  old  superstitions  continued. 
When  Luther  began  to  preach  reform,  he  did  so  independ- 
ently, for  he  regarded  Wyclif  and  Huss  as  arrant  heretics. 

The  Reformation  was  begun  four  hundred  years  ago 
when,  at  high  noon  October  31,  1517,  Martin  Luther  posted 
u])  the  XCV  Theses  on  the  church  door  in  Wittenberg. 
Here  he  called  men  away  from  what  the  Church  taught 
about  true  repentance  and  the  source  of  salvation  to  what 
the  Scriptures  taught.  He  himself  had  been  moved  by  God 
to  study  deeply  and  with  great  diligence  in  the  sacred  volume 
in  order  to  secure  the  assurance  of  faith  for  his  own  soul. 
Thus  from  an  obscure  town,  as  from  another  Nazareth,  God 


14 


called  this  man  to  give  to  Europe  a  knowledge  of  the 
true  teachings  of  the  Scriptures  and  to  defend  the  right  of 
every  Christian  to  own  them  and  read  them  in  his  own  tongue. 

The  new  movement  spread  to  German  Switzerland 
where  it  was  led  by  Ulrich  ZwingH,  who  died  in  battle,  1531. 
In  Geneva,  it  had  for  its  leader  John  Calvin,  1509-1564, 
whose  logical  system  of  theology  and  Presbyterian  form  of 
government — giving  the  laity  a  share  in  the  management  of 
the  church — were  adopted  in  the  larger  part  of  Western 
Europe  and  were  brought  to  this  country  by  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers  and  Puritans,  the  Presbyterians,  the  immigrants 
from  Holland  and  parts  of  Germany,  and  the  Huguenots. 

In  Holland,  the  Protestant  Church  passed  through 
bloody  persecutions  brought  upon  the  country  by  Philip  II 
and  the  Spanish  Inquisition. 

England  gave  many  martyrs  to  the  cause.  William 
Tyndale  had  to  flee  from  England  to  send  forth  the  first 
copy  of  the  New  Testament  printed  in  English.  This  he 
did  at  Worms  on  the  Rhine  but  the  reformer  himself  was 
strangled  and  burnt.  Among  the  more  prominent  martyrs 
under  Mary  Tudor,  1553-1558,  were  Ridley,  bishop  of 
London,  and  Latimer,  bishop  of  Worcester,  who  were 
burnt,  1555,  and  Arch]:>ishop  Cranmer  who  suffered  the  same 
fate  a  year  later.  Cranmer  was  the  author  of  the  Episcopal 
Book  of  Common  Prayer  and  a  firm  Cahinist  in  doctrine. 

In  Scotland  the  Reformation  had  John  Knox  for  its 
leader.  His  parish  was  Edinburgh.  The  nation  followed 
his  stern  and  fervent  preaching.  Standing  over  Knox's 
grave,  the  regent  Morton  said,  "Here  lies  he  who  never 
feared  the  face  of  man." 

Almighty  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  grant  unto  us  thy 
humble  servants,  we  beseech  thee,  that  prizing  thy  holy 
Word  and  guided  and  upheld  by  thy  Spirit,  we  may  walk 
worthy  of  the  high  vocation  wherewith  we  are  called  and, 
having  borne  a  good  testimony  and  fought  the  good  fight,  be 
received  of  thee  to  the  company  of  the  redeemed  in  glory, 
through  thy  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.     Amen. 


Princeton  Theological  Se 


Libraries 


iiiiiiiiiiliiiiliiillliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini'J 


1012  01181    7501 


imi 


nq-^ra     TS) 


MBILIEIM 


Below  is  one  of  the  symbols  used  hy  tlie  reformers.  It  is  copied  from 
the  title-page  of  the  edition  of  the  English  Bible  published  at  Geneva, 
Switzerland,  in  1568,  the  translation  having  been  made  by  the  Presbyterian 
exiles  resident  in  the  city.  The  serpent  and  the  cross  stand  for  salvation 
through  Christ  alone.  John  3:  14,  15.  The  clasped  hands  indicate  the 
union  of  the  reformers  in  their  support  of  evangelical  doctrine.  The 
letters  I.  C.  stand  for  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  anchor  is  significant  of  the 
assured  hope  of  believers  in  him,  despite  all  oppositions  of  devils.  The 
demons  are  shown  in  the  sea  in  which  the  anchor  enters. 

The  uplifted  serpent  on  the  seal  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.  is  taken  from  this  symbol,  and 
connects  the  Church  directly  with  the  Reformation. 


BORN 


Luther 

ZwiNGLI 

Knox  . 
Calvin 
Cranmer 


1483 1546 

1484 1531 

1505 1572 

1509 1564 

1489 1556 


Headquarters:  PHILADELPHIA,  Witherspoon  Building 

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Price  5  cents  per  ropy  or  $:i.  1)0  per  hundrril  oiul  for  sale  al  all  Depositories 


l(i 


BR  327  .F43  1917 
1517-1917 


